Last week I had the privilege of spending the afternoon watching the University’s netball teams compete as all three teams had a match at home. All BUCS matches take place on Wednesday afternoons and it is without doubt the best part of this amazing job, being able to get out of the office and go see people do what they love to do, and in the vast majority of cases, do it incredibly well.
The reason why I have decided to focus on one team in particular in this article is because on that cold, miserable overcast Wednesday, I saw something that inspired me. Our netball teams had three matches at home, against 3 different institutions, but all had played them earlier on in the season.
First up was the 3rds and quite frankly they demolished their opposition and set the tone for what would turn out to be a fantastic afternoon for LUNC.
With a massive win under their belts it was the 2nds up next who had revealed earlier that they were a little nervous – they didn’t want to be the team that stopped a whitewash afternoon for the club. But the 2nds didn’t just pull through: they totally annihilated their opposition who they lost to by only one point last term.
I know that this may seem more like a match review, but it was in the build up to the 1sts match that my point properly seemed to hit home to me as an officer. Our 1st team was up against UCLAN, a team notorious for their fantastic work rate on court, and to say our girls weren’t the most positive about the outcome would be rather generous. Some of the girls were using the match as more of a measuring stick rather than a chance to win.
However one aspect of their preparation will stick with me for the rest of my time in office, and I hope it sticks with you too. LUNC 1sts realised that if you believe you are going to lose, you have already lost. If you believe the opposition are better than you, then you have already been beaten. No matter who you go up against, they are not superior beings or god like figures, they too get tired, they too get scared, so if you ever feel that there is no way out other than defeat, please just do one thing: believe in yourself and believe in your team, our team, Lancaster.
I have seen the potential we have on this campus in our college and University level sport, but I am only one person. Every single one of you where must believe that victory is always possible or it never will be.
